The Wave

The Arizona-Utah border region is home to spectacular canyons (think, the Grand Canyon) and rock formations. “The Wave” in Arizona is geological history book artistically displayed.

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At the Wave, swirling sandstone of different colors create nature’s art. The layers and patterns also reveal the story of the geological history of the region. To decipher that history, we need to look at the events in sequence. First, the materials were deposited. Second, they were lithified. Third, the Colorado Plateau was uplifted so that the rocks were exposed. Fourth, the region was carved into the Wave.

Credit: Alex Proimos from Sydney, Australia

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:%22The_Wave%22.jpg

License: CC BY-NC 3.0

Erosion creates thin ridges as seen in this cross-bedding of sandstone
[Figure2]

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With the links below, learn more about the Wave. Then answer the following questions.